Month: January 2014

Hey everyone! It’s that time of the month for another edition of Market Insider! This week I’m featuring the lovely town of Augusta, WV. If you happen to be buying or selling a home here, you might want to take a quick read at this!

The number of active listings in Augusta dropped by 9.8% from the previous month. The percent of unoccupied properties is 15.2% more than the national average.The median listing price for homes in this area is $199,900.

Median household income in Augusta is $37,040 with 98 households earning between $35,000 to $40,000 annually.

The Crime Risk Index compares the likelihood of different crimes happening within this community to the national average. The national average for each type of crime equals a score of 100. A score of 200 would represent twice the risk as the national average, and a score of 50 would represent half the risk.

40

Median Age

31%

Married

1,623

Number of Homes

619

Homes with Children

The above data was gathered from multiple sources and includes current listings, recent sales, and more. Whether you’re a buyer or seller, the knowledge you gain will help put you in control of your real estate transactions.

If you’d like to read more statistics on the current housing market in Augusta, visit my website here. You can find more information on it such as local schools, a list of establishments (categorized and searchable by map), and you can even compare areas/neighborhoods according to zip code. It can really provide you with a thorough insight so you have a better idea of the community you want to move into.

Hey guys! Hope you had a good weekend! Now it’s been a while since I last posted some decor ideas for bedrooms, so if you’re looking to renovate your bedroom for the new year, hopefully this article can give you some inspiration to work with!

This is a classic take on rustic chic, with elements of traditional design. As you can see, the colors are subtle but refined, bringing a pleasant, welcome change if you’re the more conventional type. The upholstered headboard is definitely one of the key pieces in the set, bringing an elegant pattern into the mix that complements the adjacent nightstand. The cushy, cozy bed linens and seat cushions make this a comfortable haven for anyone who wishes to retreat to this lovely bedroom.

Now if you’re a sucker for whites or monochrome colors, then this combination may be just for you. Even with a very minimalistic palette, this bedroom gives off a clean, regal feel, which is definitely soothing to the eyes. You’ll feel like sleeping in luxury in this modern, stylish neutral style of grey, cream and white, accented with dark wood tones.

Now if you’re looking for more life and color in your bedroom, how about this cerulean blue and white combination? Doesn’t it give you that breezy, seaside feel? The white definitely adds to the refreshing quality of the room while complementing and balancing out the brightness of the blues at the same time. This is definitely a fun, radical (and literally) cool change from the traditional bedroom setup!

A Happy New Year to everyone! How did you all spend the last day of 2013? It’s been a while since my last post but I hope that like myself, all of you have been able to rest and relax over the holidays and ready to face 2014 with new vigor!

Now I’ve been seeing a spike in activity on my website, and if you are some of the buyers that are looking to purchase a home by spring, surely you’ve encountered homes with ‘Foreclosure’ or ‘Short Sale’ tags while doing your home search. While you may have an idea about their difference, hopefully this article can shed a little more light and help you with deciding on your purchase.

Short Sales vs. Foreclosures
They are known as “distressed properties,” when in reality they are properties that belong to distressed homeowners. Foreclosed properties and those being sold short are homes that the homeowner can no longer afford, for any number of reasons. If you have your heart set on purchasing from among an area’s distressed properties, you may have to look a bit harder for them than you would have last year. The number of foreclosures on the market dwindled 22 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the first quarter of 2012. The number of U.S. short sales has fallen 10 percent and is expected to keep falling.

Price
Think the listing price of that short sale is set in stone? Think again. The list price is a concoction of the homeowner and the real estate agent. The only price that matters is that which the lender sets, and that won’t happen until there’s an offer and the lender sends out an appraiser. Much of the time the real estate agent’s evaluation comes very close to appraised value, but there is no guarantee. The list price on a foreclosure, however, is set by the lender, so unless you are able to negotiate for a lower price, this is the price the lender expects to obtain.

Timing
We all heard the short sale nightmare stories during the depth of the recession – all those poor buyers who were stuck waiting sometimes as long as a year or more to find out if their offers were accepted by the bank. While today’s short sales are considerably more streamline, they still take longer to purchase than a foreclosure. There are a number of reasons for the difference in timing, but the biggest is that there are more people involved in the short sale than the foreclosure.

Condition
Many homeowners trash their short sales before moving out, but not quite as often as do foreclosed homeowners. With no recourse against the “big, bad bank,” they’ll rip out fixtures, carpets and destroy walls. Then, the bank sells them – both foreclosures and short sales – “as is.” When purchasing a short sale, at least you can meet the owners and possibly find out from them what type of, if any, work has been done with the house. With a foreclosure you don’t get that chance. Both options require extra due diligence, ordering inspections of any of the home’s major systems that you have even the slightest doubt about. Inspections are the only form of “insurance” you’ll have with these purchases. Sadly, not everything can be picked up during inspections. Work with your real estate agent to find qualified inspection professionals.

Your best source of information on buying distressed properties is your real estate agent. Nobody knows the local market as well.